Merriweather Named Doak Walker Award Candidate

The committee will cast a second vote on Nov. 28 to determine the recipient.

DALLAS, TEXAS - The SMU Athletic Forum today announced the candidates for the 2005 Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation's top college running back.

The field of candidates includes Memphis senior DeAngelo Williams, the nation's leading returning rusher (1948 yds.). Other candidates include USC junior Reggie Bush, a semifinalist for the award in 2004; University of North Texas senior Patrick Cobbs and sophomore Jamario Thomas, who led the nation in rushing yards per game in 2003 and 2004, respectively; Michigan sophomore Mike Hart who led the Big Ten with 1,455 yards last season; and Oklahoma sophomore Adrian Peterson who led the Big 12 in rushing yards and was a finalist for the award in 2004.

The complete list of candidates, who were nominated by their universities, follows:

Joseph Addai (Sr.), LSU

Chris Barclay (Sr.), Wake Forest

Mike Bell (Sr.), Arizona

Brett Biggs (Sr.), Akron

Ahmad Bradshaw (So.), Marshall

Cornell Brockington (Jr.), Connecticut

Curtis Brown (Jr.), BYU

Thomas Brown (So.), Georgia

Michael Bush (Jr.), Louisville

Reggie Bush (Jr.), USC

Patrick Cobbs (Sr.), North Texas

P.J. Daniels (Sr.), Georgia Tech

Maurice Drew (Jr.), UCLA

Tyler Ebell (Sr.), UTEP

Anthony Evans (Sr.), Houston

Quinton Ganther (Sr.), Utah

Lynell Hamilton (So.), San Diego State

Mike Hart (So.), Michigan

Taurean Henderson (Sr.), Texas Tech

Stevie Hicks (Jr.), Iowa State

Peyton Hillis (So.), Arkansas

Carlton Jones (Sr.), Army

Brian Leonard (Sr.), Rutgers

Courtney Lewis (Jr.), Texas A&M

Rafael Little (So.), Kentucky

Wali Lundy (Sr.), Virginia

Marshawn Lynch (So.), UC Berkeley

Lee Marks (Sr.), Boise State

Reggie Merriweather (Jr.), Clemson

DonTrell Moore (Sr.), New Mexico

Tyrone Moss (Jr.), Miami

Jerious Norwood (Sr.), Mississippi State

Uril Parrish (Sr.), Tulsa

Adrian Peterson (So.), Oklahoma

P.J. Pope (Sr.), Bowling Green

Damien Rhodes (Sr.), Syracuse

Cory Ross (Sr.), Nebraska

Jamario Thomas (So.), North Texas

Pierre Thomas (Jr.), Illinois

Lawrence Vickers (Sr.), Colorado

Jerod Void (Sr.), Purdue

Danny Ware (So.), Georgia

Leon Washington (Sr.), Florida State

LenDale White (Jr.), USC

Terrence Whitehead (Sr.), Oregon

DeAngelo Williams (Sr.), Memphis

Garrett Wolfe (Jr.), Northern Illinois

The SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will select the semifinalists on Nov. 17, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will vote to determine the finalists on Nov. 18.
The committee will cast a second vote on Nov. 28 to determine the recipient. The National Selection Committee consists of former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members and selected special representatives.

The recipient of the 2005 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on ESPN along with other NCFAA member awards on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 8. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held at The Wyndham Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas, on Monday, Feb. 27, 2006.

Former Texas running back Cedric Benson, first-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears, won the 2004 Doak Walker Award.

The award, in its 16th year, is named for SMU's three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. It is the only major collegiate award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification.